1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a board to board connector, and particularly to terminals for a board to board connector.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,866 (shown in FIG. 6) discloses a protrusion-type board-to-board connector 5. The connector 5 includes an elongate dielectric housing 51 which defines a plurality of chambers 511 extending in pairs vertically and equidistantly through the housing 51 along a length thereof, and a plurality of contacts 53 received in the chambers 511. Each contact 53 is generally J-shaped and has a base 531, a connecting portion 532 vertically projecting from the base 531, a curved portion 533 downwardly continuing the connecting portion 532, and an engaging portion 535 which forms a protrusion 534 at a tip thereof. The protrusion 534 fits within a concave portion of a contact of a complementary connector when it is mated with the connector 5. The contact 53 further comprises a fit portion in a form of barbs extending sideward for having an interference fit with the housing 51 of the connector 5. Furthermore, to increase the compliance of the contact 53, an arcuated recess 537 is defined between the base 53 and the connecting portion 532.
As the profile of the contact is getting lower and the thickness of the contact is getting thinner, the conventional contact has the following disadvantages.
When mounting the contact 53 into a corresponding chamber 511 of the housing 51, a buckling of the base 531 may occur, which causes the contact 51 to be improperly positioned in the chamber 511. Furthermore, the compliance of the contact 53 is not enough to ensure that the contact 53 have a proper engagement with the contact of the mated complementary connector.
Hence, an improved electrical connector contact is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.